Does anyone know where to find rebuilt front differentials or parts to rebuild them? I have an '87 4Runner and I can't drive above about 35mph or it vibrates terribly. I took out the diff. and it's loose. I think the bearings are bad. $900 new is too much for a new one. I'm not sure if it's this or the driveshaft yet. Any advise? Thanks!

 

Seems to me driveshaft vibration has always been the cause of my mishaps with bad on-road manners. Do a search in the yellow pages for a local driveshaft shop, I'm sure you'll come across someone who can help you. You might also check and have your tires balanced. Chances are it's either tires or shaft. Good luck.

 

What front axle/hub setup do you have; manual hubs, auto hubs or ADD? One option to isolate the problem is remove the front driveshaft and lock in the hubs or front ADD and drive at the speed that causes the problem. If it remains, it is likely not the front driveshaft. If the pinion flange is loose on the diff, unstake the nut, toruq it down to about 90 ft-lb and then re-stake it. Otherwise, used IFS front diffs are pretty easy to find, get someone who has done a SAS or find one at a junkyard (http://www.car-part.com).